Surfguiding in the Algarve starts with a good plan, a good look at the forecast, some last minute local updates and phone calls and then get in the van for a drive to the beach. But exactly that last part of the guiding became pretty difficult lately. Just before our little break (family surf trip to France) our van broke down. It didn’t give us any problems ever before, but it turned out to be bad. Really bad.
Enjoying the french waves, food, wine and good company we figured we had the time on our hands and let the pros (mechanics) sort it out back in Portugal. They didn’t.
I did a bit more surf instructing then I calculated on doing for this year, the missis combined about 3 different jobs together in one day- every day- all to be able to get the van sorted out as soon as possible.
Our friends at the surfcamp of Extreme Algarve looked after us extremely well. We could borrow the company van whenever we needed it, got a lot of extra days of surfing and actually managed pretty well. (A couple of South-East swells, which means waves on our front yard, helped as well- I agree).
And now the van is álmost ready. Season is really starting, we’re walking from shade to shade wherever we go, tourists walking around drunkenly and to find waves you have to drive up the west coast. Right? This morning the forecast looked almost too promising to be true. We took the gamble and drove to the end of the world and got an incredible session. I was with a guy from France (who I guided in his own rental car), a backside barrel that I came out off and many many many fun powerful waves. Summer is here but with days and waves like these, lets bring it on!